Family Quotes in The Art of Racing in the Rain

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"Take it easy, kid," he says, pressing down on my chest to calm me. "I've got you." (1.15)

The language Denny uses here to describe Enzo, emphasizes how much he thinks of Enzo as not only a part of his family, but as a child. Denny, more than anyone else, raised Enzo. He's Denny's doggy son.

Quote #2

Soon after [Eve] moved into our apartment, they were married in a small wedding ceremony, which I attended along with a group of their closest friends and Eve's immediate family. (6.3)

Denny's idea of family is something small and close-knit. There are some complicated reasons for Denny's thinking—his idea of family is certainly different from Eve's—but is there one right definition of family?

Quote #3

And while I greatly resented the attention Eve lavished on her unborn baby, I realized I had never given her a reason to lavish that same attention on me. Perhaps that is my regret: I loved how she was when she was pregnant, and yet I knew I could never be the source of her affection in that way because I could never be her child. (6.6)

Enzo desires to connect to Eve as she connects to her unborn baby. Well, okay, but unless he can figure out how to reverse-engineer the miracle of life, he's going to have to be content with being her pet.